They told me if I voted Democrat, I would be voting to fund Planned Parenthood and keep the Ex-Im bank. They were right!
In an abomination of a Senate session on Sunday, the supposedly Republican controlled Senate voted to bring the Export-Import Bank, a New Deal-era relic of corporate welfare, back from the dead. They also rejected amendments that would’ve repealed Obamacare and wouldn’t even vote on an amendment to defund Planned Parenthood. This was all done so that these guys can pass a pork-laden Highway Bill that is full of tax increases and handouts to special interests.
Let’s start with the Export-Import Bank, which is probably a little wonky for most Hayride readers. The government bank was set up during the New Deal to help American companies export their products overseas. The bank issues credit and insurance for foreign companies to buy American products. The main argument for keeping is simply this, every other country has one so America needs one too.
Now to be fair, if Senators from manufacturing and export reliant states were not fighting to keep the bank, regardless of party, they would not be doing their job. That still doesn’t change the fact that this bank is little more than corporate welfare to benefit mostly big business who can get financing from the private sector with little trouble. This is why conservative voters and activists made killing it a major issue.
The Highway Bill itself is an abomination of pork-barrel spending. The bill is financed by tax increases and all sorts of gimmicks that won’t produce the revenue they expect. Also, the bill wants to do something that at this point should be done by state governments. The Federal highway system has been constructed. It is the job of state governments to maintain it. The Federal gas tax should be done away with and this responsibility shifted to state governments.
Reviving the Ex-Im bank and passing a pork-barrel Highway Bill written by Barbara Boxer are not among the priorities of conservative voters. However, they are among the top priorities of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the other members of Republican Party’s corporatist wing. Nothing says “we’re for the American people” than doing the bidding of corporate America.
Which brings us to the sad tale of Mitch McConnell, the allegedly Republican leader in the Senate. McConnell’s reign so far has been one advancement of the Obama agenda after another. Republicans promised that they would be willing to shut down the Department of Homeland Security in order to stop Obama’s executive amnesty. It got funded. They promised to stop the Iran Deal, instead they passed the Corker bill which essentially allows Congress to huff and puff about how they oppose it but do nothing to stop the Iran deal. Finally, they promised there would be no deal to pass the Ex-Im bank as a part of passing Obamatrade. That was a lie as Ted Cruz said on the floor of the Senate.
The only thing Mitch McConnell appears to be good at is advancing the Obama agenda. For those of you in the grassroots who are angry, you need to make it clear that you want new leadership in Congress. McConnell is a traitor to conservatism and for that he needs to go.
If McConnell won’t even allow a vote on an amendment to defund Planned Parenthood, even after video evidence of them trying to sell baby parts, that’s either cowardice or he’s a closet abortion supporter. This is exactly the type of issue to hang around the necks of liberals. But McConnell is too busy advancing the Obama and corporatist agenda to do that.
McConnell needs to go as Senate Majority Leader. Grassroots conservatives need to demand it.
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